Absolute beginner wax sculpting for lost wax casting with Ceilidh Dalton

Lost wax casting has been around for more than 6 thousand years and is what
brought humans out of the stone age. In this absolute beginner class you will learn
some of the history and theory of casting metal objects.

• Date: Saturday, 27 June
  Time: 10.00am – 2.00pm
  Location: Norgrove Park, Kingston
  
  
• Date: Thursday, 2 July
  Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm
  Location: NatureArt Lab Studio, M16 Art Space, Blaxland Ct, Griffith

About the course:

You will receive a grounding in what is possible and the limitations of wax and natural object casting, as well as get some hands on experience trying tools and different techniques on some non-toxic samples (beeswax and coconut oil).

There will be instruction in making rings, pendants and brooches or anything else you can imagine as well as a resource list of suppliers of materials, tools and casting,

At the end of the class you will have the option of keeping your sample pieces as wax, or casting them at Palloys, at your own expense, with the teacher’s support.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the history and theory of lost wax casting
• Know the limitation of wax working
• Have practical experience in safe tool use
• know how to use a variety of sculpting techniques

Pre-requisites: This course is suitable for 16+ beginners with little to no experience, or for those wishing to build on the foundations of their jewellery making practice.

Materials Cost:  Materials included in class.

About the tutor:

Ceilidh Dalton is a practicing environmental artist, teacher, curator and toolmaker. Her studies in Environmental Studio, while studying a Bachelor of Design Arts in Gold and Silversmithing, fed her passion for conservation and environmental art. 

Ceilidh went on to do a residency at Mulligans Flat and Jerrabomberra Wetlands which included teaching nature inspired silver jewellery workshops. She was a finalist for the Chief Ministers Inclusion Awards for Innovative Design, based on her work as a person with disability. Their first solo art exhibition 'Interlinked' was designed to be accessible for everyone.  Ceilihd is particularly passionate about eucalypts and native animals and often incorporates them into lost wax cast jewellery.

Teaching is based on feeling a need to pass on the skills they were privileged to be taught at the ANU school of Art Gold and Silversmithing workshop and Ceilidh delights in passing on her specialised knowledge of lost wax casting to students.

See more of Ceilidh's work at Instagram @ceilidhdaltonmetalartist

NatureArt Lab Awards

2022, Telstra Best of Business Award Winner for Promoting Sustainability, ACT; and National Finalist Award

2024, Telstra Best of Business Award Winner for Building Communities, ACT; and National Finalist Award

2025, Telstra Best of Business Award Finalist for Promoting Sustainability, ACT; and Finalist for Accelerating Women, ACT

2025, Awards Australia Semi-Finalist for Connecting Communities, NSW and ACT; and Semi-Finalist for Small Business Award NSW and ACT. 

Images by Ceilidh Dalton